Stories you’ll find in our October, 2015 issue:

It Can Still Be Done! Kit Building is Alive and Well
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY

Kit building is as old as amateur radio and as popular as ever. The attraction to kit building comes from the learning experience of building an electronic project, the pride of knowing how components work and the money saved by doing it yourself. A longtime kit builder himself, Kevin shows us that kits for all kinds of radio projects are readily available today, but that it’s also a fun experience to do with your children or grandchildren.

Digitally Speaking: The Original Digital Conversation
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

This month our digital guru goes old school as he examines the original digital conversation: Morse code. The attraction of CW is multilevel: it’s a mode available to all license classes, an efficient use of bandwidth, and a natural for low power DIY ham stations. Furthermore, savvy CW operators can put together a small, capable station at a fraction of the cost of voice mode stations. Despite the fact that the Morse requirement for amateur licenses was dropped in early 2007, CW operating is a popular as ever.

Build a Rugged, Copper Pipe J-Antenna for VHF-UHF
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Explore the myths and magic of the J-antenna and get yourself “de-polarized.” Richard explains that some of the things you thought you knew about the J-antenna just aren’t right. And, that with a quick trip to your nearest home-improvement store, you can find all the parts and all the tools you need to build one of the most popular VHF-UHF antennas for scanning or amateur radio applications. You’ll even find out how to put this antenna on your bike for some on-road and off-road bicycle/mobile fun.

TSM Reviews: Manhattan DJ-1997 FTA Satellite Receiver
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

The new Manhattan DJ-1997 receiver is smaller and less expensive than its predecessor and yet more capable. It goes a long way toward blurring the lines between traditional cable and satellite TV services and the new direction consumers are inevitably migrating toward: Over the Top TV. We’ve seen similar activity with services offered by new TV sets: direct access through apps to Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and a host of other non-cable/satellite video and audio services, including direct access to Web content. This is disruptive technology in the best sense of the word.

The Norden Broadcasts: America’s Ace in the Hole
By J. Wandres

While British forces in WWII had mounted successful radio-based propaganda campaigns, the US had no such program until 1942 when the US Office of Naval Intelligence put together an unlikely trio, which included a doctor, a lawyer and a Hungarian émigré. They created a fictitious character named Commander Norden and broadcast what they said was the truth in German aimed at German warships. But, how successful was the program?

Scanning America By Dan Veenaman
Counties Weigh a Combination of Radio System Options

Federal Wavelengths By Chris Parris
Programming Federal Interoperability Channels

Utility Planet By Hugh Stegman NV6H
US Coast Guard Consolidates HF Services

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
A Few Easy Digital Catches for the Beginner

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Amateur Radio Insights By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Are You Up for the Challenge of 60 Meters?

Radio 101 By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Ramsey AM Broadcast Transmitter Kit: $45 of Pure Radio Fun

Radio Propagation By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Chromosphere (Continuing our Look at the Sun)

The World of Shortwave Listening By Andrew Yoder
Tales of Pirate Radio Woe and Intrigue

The Shortwave Listener By Fred Waterer
Spy Stations, Canadian Elections, Central European Crisis and More

Maritime Monitoring By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Marine Radio Technology Sails On

The Longwave Zone By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Adventures in Through-Ground Radio

Adventures in Radio Restoration By Rich Post KB8TAD
From Aristocrat to Royalty: First Look at a Zenith Trans-Oceanic G-500

The Broadcast Tower By Doug Smith W9WI
Go West, Young Man!

Antenna Connections By Dan Farber AC0LW
The Modern Underground: Stealth

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Since its erection yesterday in its proper home by David G0LRD all seems to be working well.

A quick check this morning and I am able to copy the Kent, Dutch and Belgium beacons on 2m and GB3LEU (NW of Leicester) beacon on 70cm with the FT817 and 2m big-wheel. This is a single 2m big-wheel (not a stack) from Wimo in Germany.

It has 3dBd horizontal gain and is omni-directional.  It is an ideal SSB/CW/data antenna for casual operators like me. “Real” operators would use it and a beam:  the big-wheel to watch all 360 degrees and a big gainy beam to pounce in the choice direction. Being one who does not take the hobby too seriously just the big-wheel suits me and my style of operating! I did not look for other beacons. It is nice not having to worry about a beam and rotator.

I have still to try this antenna (and feeder) as an HF vertical via my ATU. It should work on at least some HF bands.

Elecraft K1

Today I will get my K1 off to its new owner in Holland. It worked well, but I have not used it since before my stroke. I prefer that someone has it who will use it.

There is one minor fault (which has just occurred) in that the menu button no longer seems to work as it did. I think this is a minor fault and I have declared this to the new owner, who still wants it. 

In the past the rig has been used to work lots of DX including the USA on 40, 30, 20 and 15m. The rig is a 4-band version with internal auto-ATU. The K1 is a decent little radio.

Facebook is throwing up memories from 3 years ago and one of these was a schematic for my WSPR RX for 10m, using low cost 14.060MHz crystals with a Polyakov mixer (injection at half signal frequency) The circuit worked well and could also be used for PSK31. Essentially this is a direct conversion receiver, but it mattered not. Even if you bought all parts new it is very inexpensive.  3 years later I would replace the 2 diodes by Schottky ones as these are now low cost and need less injection than the silicon ones shown.